2022/5782

Parashat Yitro, with all of its divine greatness at Har Sinai, starts with something a little less divine, Yitro deciding to check on his son-in-law. Yitro sees the strain that Moshe is dealing with, judging the nation from morning to night. He immediately goes full father-in-law on Moshe and for seven straight Pesukim he tells Moshe how to delegate the roles of the judging system that Yitro has created. And Yitro being the amazing father-in-law that he is, he gives it to Moshe as straight as he can, he tells Moshe “לֹא־טוֹב֙ הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה עֹשֶֽׂה,” “The way you are doing this is awful” (Shemot 18:17), but his language is very strange. When was the last time the Torah had used the phrase לֹא טוֹב? There is only one other time in the Torah that this phrase is used, and it's in Parashat Bereishit. HaShem has just created man, and tells Adam HaRishon “לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ,” “it isn't a good for man to be by himself” (BeReishit 2:18). Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Z”l says that these two instances can be used together. Yitro is trying to tell Moshe Rabbeinu that his way of doing things is not right, he cannot do it alone. From Adam HaRishon until that very moment, no one was able to do it alone. 

Yet, Yitro ends his advice to Moshe a little strangely. Instead of saying, “and after every case each man will go back home in peace”, he says, “,וְגַם֙ כּל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־מְקֹמ֖וֹ יָבֹ֥א בְשָׁלֽוֹם” “And also the whole nation will arrive to its place in peace”  (Shemot 18:23). Most Mefarshim just assume this to mean that after each case, everyone will go home in peace, but the Or HaChaim HaKadosh thinks a little differently. He reads the Pasuk very literally, “And the entire nation shall arrive at its destination in peace”. The Or HaChaim HaKadosh explains that Yitro said this because he understood that the only way for the Jewish people to receive the Torah and become HaShem’s nation was to unite under the common goal of peace. 

This is why, the Or HaChaim explains, once Moshe accepts this advice and Yitro leaves, do the Jewish people arrive at Har Sinai. We would reach our destination once we came together and strove for peace. 

I truly do hope that we all take the messages of Rav Sacks and the Or HaChaim to heart. Hopefully we can all see that we can use a helping hand or two and that if we come together with those people we will be able to achieve great accomplishments.